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Original poster

Do your little ones wear masks?

142 replies

Heartofstrings · 31/03/2021 11:21

Just curious. We went to the test centre on Monday. My 3 year old was wearing a mask - as were me and my husband. They asked us to mask the 4 year old too. Naturally, he refused (possible asd, sensory issues).

Covid negative. Awesome. Local diy shop today. Again unmasked 4 year old and masked 3 year old. Should I be trying to force the 4 year old? I feel he should be wearing a mask

OP posts:
HereComesATractor · 31/03/2021 15:40

@WaterBottle123

Mine (6 and 10) wear masks, all NT kids should. If we can't teach them to do this one thing for the benefit of others then there is little hope for them as a generation! It's a cotton mask FFS
From what age, in your opinion?
UsedUpUsername · 31/03/2021 15:41

Most of East Asia locked down

They didn’t lock down, you know. East Asia is more than just China 🙄

jillandhersprite · 31/03/2021 15:48

No I don't even ask my 4 and 7 year old to wear masks and have never thought to... Its not compulsory and I have never even sensed that it was expected in the UK.
This is on the rare occasion I have had to take them shopping with me as no other practical option. Although the sad thing is other than that they have probably not even been in a situation to be around other adults apart from to and from school...
I am not going to mask them up...

Londono · 31/03/2021 15:58

Not a chance.

ChaBishkoot · 31/03/2021 16:02

Yes a large chunk of East Asia did lock down. Then they tested and traced and opened back up!

ChocOrange1 · 31/03/2021 16:12

@ChaBishkoot

Both my 9 and 4 year old have been in school and pre school in the US with mitigation and masking and seem to have been able to hear their teachers perfectly well. Both have so far had really good school years. And we didn’t have a winter surge in our state as masking compliance is pretty high. I have to admit I don’t fully get the MN hysteria. Most of East Asia locked down, tested and traced, masked and then resumed normal life months and months ago.
Do you really think the reason we have a second wave was because preschoolers weren't wearing masks?
UsedUpUsername · 31/03/2021 17:42

@ChaBishkoot

Yes a large chunk of East Asia did lock down. Then they tested and traced and opened back up!
Japan, Taiwan and South Korea didn’t have lockdowns. So no, not a large chunk
LST · 31/03/2021 18:08

@WaterBottle123

Mine (6 and 10) wear masks, all NT kids should. If we can't teach them to do this one thing for the benefit of others then there is little hope for them as a generation! It's a cotton mask FFS
Nah I'm good thanks. Fingers crossed we won't need masks soon. So fuck normalising wearing them for kids.
Buzzinwithbez · 31/03/2021 18:54

@WaterBottle123

Mine (6 and 10) wear masks, all NT kids should. If we can't teach them to do this one thing for the benefit of others then there is little hope for them as a generation! It's a cotton mask FFS
How do you know if your child is NT or not?

Especially if the lockdowns, masks etc are bringing out some traits that they either haven't shown previously or have managed.

ChaBishkoot · 31/03/2021 19:52

No but everyone was wearing masks. Everyone. Our rule was you step outside you wear a mask. That’s it. Simple. No taking on and off. And in many months I have seen less than 10 people mask less.

ChaBishkoot · 31/03/2021 19:56

Taiwan: masks and quarantine
www.wired.co.uk/article/taiwan-coronavirus-covid-response

So they locked the island down but kept normal life going with masks, PPE and contact tracing.
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/09/21/asia/taiwan-model-coronavirus-hnk-intl/index.html

South Korea used masks, test/trace and very strong social distancing measures

bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-020-01791-8

mightbealittlebitmad · 31/03/2021 19:57

Mine are 5 and 3 so don't have to and as a result I've never asked them to wear one. I dislike wearing one myself so I'm not going to do something that I don't have to do where my kids are concerned.

My 3 year old wouldn't stand a chance at keeping them on I'm sure, the 5 year old probably would for a quick shop visit but nothing more. I do take them in shops, living apart from their dad I don't always have a choice. I generally don't take them on a massive food shop for no good reason because I'm not insane but stopping at the shop on the way home from school is perfectly fine in my eyes.

There are worse things in life that not wearing a mask, adult or child.

ChaBishkoot · 31/03/2021 19:57

Vietnam
ourworldindata.org/covid-exemplar-vietnam

WaterBottle123 · 31/03/2021 20:04

@HereComesATractor

Good question. I think you can explain the situation to a 3/4 year old, so around then, depending on child.

WaterBottle123 · 31/03/2021 20:06

@LST

Why wouldn't you want to normalise kids doing something that really doesn't harm them to protect their community?

Your attitude makes no sense

activitythree · 31/03/2021 20:09

My autistic 11 year old wears a mask. He also wears a lanyard when out and started that king before covid arrived. The last time I took him to a supermarket the person on the door told him he could take his mask off, because he doesn't need to wear it Angry

Senso21 · 31/03/2021 20:15

Personally I would never mask my children.
I’m CEV and have never let either of them wear a mask, even if I have taken them to GP/hospital appts.
Having them masked, making it hard for them to speak and making them uncomfortable doesn’t sit right with me

movingadvice · 31/03/2021 20:23

No. Tiny children shouldn't wear masks.

soughsigh · 31/03/2021 20:31

I won't put a mask on mine till he turns 5, as per WHO guidance. We think he might be asthmatic.

He wouldn't tolerate it anyway, he tried to refuse to wear a hat when it was -15 out.

He's 2.5, I am really hoping we don't need masks by the time he is 5.

Pinchoftums · 31/03/2021 20:35

Lots of countries little kids wear masks. With my ASD friend's son she him to keep trying it until he got used to them.
If you DS hates them just avoid taking him to the shops.

musicalfrog · 31/03/2021 20:43

Absolutely no way. Nope. Poor buggers having to deal with all the grown ups hiding behind masks, wouldn't want all their peers to be doing it too.

If you want them to do something altruistic get them to do a litter pick fgs.

x2boys · 31/03/2021 20:43

Autism is a massive spectrum@pinchoftums your friends child may well get used to wearing one ,mine can't as he also has severe learning disabilities he has no clue we are even in a pandemic

DenisetheMenace · 31/03/2021 20:47

hollydays7

I'm not in this situation but not in a million years would I be forcing my young children to wear masks“

Interesting. If the next variant targets young children?

jazzandh · 31/03/2021 20:48

DS2 10 (now) wears a mask when in a shop and has to on the school bus. All the children (5+) on the bus are expected to wear masks (UK) on the bus.

It doesn't seem to have caused too much trauma.

Kids are adaptable, want to please (mainly), it won't actually do them any harm whilst they are in a shop etc....and may stop them (or someone else) - depending on your view point - getting some infectious disease.

So not really a great hardship that I can see.

DenisetheMenace · 31/03/2021 20:51

jazzandh

Oh dear. Not sure the voice of reason is welcome on this thread 😁. Medical exemptions aside, I don’t think it’s a big deal for most kids either.